Dr. Titan Awarded ACS Resident Research Scholarship

March 5, 2018

General Surgery Resident Dr. Ashley Titan was awarded a Resident Research Scholarship from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The scholarship will support Titan during her two professional development years, which she plans to spend working with Drs. Michael Longaker and Charles Chan.

"The goal of our research is to investigate resident skeletal stem cell populations at cartilage and bone injury sites and augment their healing capabilities in the short- and long-term by chemically modulating the niche microenvironment using FDA approved compounds," said Titan.

According to the ACS website, resident research scholarships "are supported by the generosity of Fellows, Chapters, and friends of the College, to encourage residents to pursue careers in academic surgery."

"The ACS scholarship is important not just in funding the research, but is also an important step forward for the resident’s academic career. It is widely known how competitive these grants are, and having earned the grant will give Ashley important recognition in academic surgery as a future leader, " said Dr. George Yang, a 1996 scholarship awardee and an associate professor in the Division of General Surgery. "Earning the award led directly to the opportunities I had in the Longaker laboratory immediately after my training."

Titan is the latest in a long tradition of ACS Resident Research Scholarship winners from the Stanford Department of Surgery. Previous award winners include:

• George P. Yang, 1996–1998 (Gen. Surg.)

• Randall P. Nacamuli, 2002–2004 (Gen. Surg.)

• Filiberto Rodriguez, 2002–2004 (Plastics)

• Serena Tan, 2011–2013 (Gen. Surg.)

• Geoffrey Krampitz, 2013–2015 (Gen. Surg.)

• Peter A. Than, 2013–2015 (Gen. Surg.)

• Clement Marshall, 2015–2017 (Gen. Surg.)

• Deshka Foster, 2017-2019 (Gen. Surg.)

General Surgery Residency Program Director Dr. Marc Melcher attributes some of his residents' success with securing external funding to the professional development mentoring program for interns and PGY2s, which was established in 2010.

"This award is a tribute not only to Dr. Titan's preparation for her professional development time but also her team of mentors: Drs. Michael Longaker and Tom Weiser," said Melcher. "Her award is an honor for her and the entire program."